The European patent document 129,495 A to Formo et al. discloses nesting, stackable cutlery in particular so designed that one spoon, one fork and one knife can nest into one bound set. Moreover cutlery of only one kind, for instance spoons, also are meant to be nesting into one stack. However the cutlery items being designed to assure reliable stacking in the sequence of spoon, fork and knife from bottom to top, with special emphasis on the mutual matching of the cutlery items whereby the knife and the fork shall not protrude and are unable to pierce the packaging, cutlery items of the same kind are less suited to making large and stable stacks. To avert the danger of stack destruction in large packagings requires comparatively much packing material such as cardboard layers or pouches. Removing small quantities from the stack entails much effort or additional packaging material.
A bound set of cutlery composed of three different cutlery items (knife, fork, spoon) is known from the British patent document 2,177,894 A wherein for instance the knife handle is fitted at its top and lower sides with a series of shapes in the form of knurls or nodes in the longitudinal direction of the handle. Said shapes enter recesses present in the handles of the spoon and fork and complementary with the knife shapes, whereby the cutlery composed of spoon, fork and knife can be fitted into each together. Stable stacking of identical cutlery items is not provided in this known cutlery, furthermore it is precluded per se.
The German patent document 801108 C discloses cutlery composed of spoon, fork and knife wherein the cutlery items evince flat handles and are designed to be placed one on the other, elevations formed on the handle of one cutlery item entering recesses in the cutlery item on top of it. Placed on top of each other, the three cutlery items can be bound together by a resilient sleeve. Stable stacking of identical cutlery items is not provided for this cutlery nor is it feasible.